Voters agree that some freedoms should be sacrificed in the name of security, but are growing more concerned about climate change. And the government is yet to benefit from the relentless focus on terrorism, today’s Essential Report shows.

Who are the 12 people doing the most to block action on climate change in Australia? With a new government, and Australia’s emissions stubbornly high, we name and shame the second half of our fresh Dirty Dozen …

Nothing has happened since the election to challenge the view that the Coalition’s Direct Action plan for carbon reduction is vastly inferior to carbon pricing, write economists Frank Jotzo and Paul Burk at Inside Story.

The UN’s annual climate talkfest has wrapped up, with some limited progress made towards a global deal on emissions in 2015. Tony Abbott faces a challenge in playing any kind of role in such a deal, with some countries ‘venemous’ towards Australia at the talks.

Crikey Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane and deputy editor Cathy Alexander have some controversial views on climate change and what Australia should do about it (hint: one of them says we should do nothing at all).

In the absence of action on climate change from our political class, young people are entitled to wonder whether ‘direct action’ of their own can end the rip-off being perpetrated on them and on future generations.